Enduring beliefs about effects of gassing in war: qualitative study

Jones, Edgar; Palmer, Ian; Wessely, Simon

doi:10.1136/bmj.39420.533461.25

Cited by 14 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Physical effects of gas poisoning are described as so severe and debilitating that they are associated with a limited capacity to work (15). Physical disability interferes a lot with participants’ ability to function, especially as they lose their ability progressively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most survivors are also suffering from significant psychological disorders including a progressive sense of alienation, depression, loss of family unity, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety (14). Chemical weapons victims suffer from irreversible and deteriorating health status (15). The results of recent interpretive sociological studies of chronic illness suggest the need for a multidimensional view of chronic illness impact on everyday life (16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The challenges experienced by Iranian war veterans living with chemical warfare poisoning: a descriptive, exploratory study

Hassankhani

Taleghani

Mills

et al. 2010

Scandinavian Caring Sciences

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This exploratory, descriptive study investigates the experiences of Iranian war veterans living with chronic disease acquired as a result of chemical warfare. Sulphur mustard (SM) is considered one of the most important agents of chemical warfare and was widely used during the Iran-Iraq conflict in 1980-1988. There are approximately 100 000 Iranian SM casualties who suffer from serious long-term progressive health problems involving their respiratory organs, eyes and skin. Seventeen male Iranian war veterans aged between 30 and 59 years and four victims' family members participated in the study. Data was generated during individual in-depth interviews that used open-ended questions. Grounded theory techniques, including the constant comparative method of concurrent data generation and analysis, were employed in the analysis of data. Preliminary results indicate two main thematic categories: social isolation and physical disability. It is argued that a lack of knowledge about the outcomes of SM poisoning, physical restrictions and difficulty in adjusting socially decreases war veterans' functional capacity and levels of independence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenges experienced by Iranian war veterans living with chemical warfare poisoning: a descriptive, exploratory study

Hassankhani

Taleghani

Mills

et al. 2010

Scandinavian Caring Sciences

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“…Mental health effects are also pronounced. [11–16] Delayed effects, e.g., neuropsychiatric symptoms, become obvious only in the longer term. [11] The majority of survivors of SM exposure suffer from severe, long-lasting respiratory conditions, primarily chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiolitis obliterans, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis, tracheal and/or bronchial deformities, and recurrent pneumonia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the experience of CWAs and fear of renewed exposure to CWAs implies chronic poor health status and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [16, 22, 23] A recent study reports that SM effects on the respiratory system in particular are closely associated with psychiatric disorders. [22] A study on Iranian male war veterans revealed that SM victims with ophthalmological complications had lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to a control group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health perspectives among Halabja’s civilian survivors of sulfur mustard exposure with respiratory symptoms—A qualitative study

et al. 2019

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Background In 1988, Halabja came under heavy chemical warfare attack using chemicals such as sulfur mustard (SM). Thousands of survivors of SM exposure in the city today live with multiple health complaints, such as severe, long-lasting respiratory symptoms; but their perceptions of health have never been adequately researched. We aimed to explore current major health concern topics in civilian survivors with long-term respiratory symptoms. Method Sixteen subjects (f:m10:6, mean age 45.5 years (range 34–67)) were interviewed. Study participants were recruited in 2016 via a purposive sampling strategy among civilian survivors of chemical warfare in the city of Halabja in Kurdistan-Iraq. A qualitative research design was applied including semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data was analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results The analysis yielded fourteen themes related to: (1) General health: all participants described a deterioration in physical and psychological health, following the SM exposure, foremost involving respiratory symptoms, fatigue, sleeping disorders, ocular problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety; (2) Quality of life: most notably, they reported a limited family life, limited social relations, lack of work ability, and concern about their financial situation. Moreover, many lived in constant fear of a renewed attack; (3) access to health care services: all participants reported that they had no, or only poor, access to health care services and limited access to specialist care, and all reported lack of financial resources to obtain treatment. Conclusions The post-exposure somatic and psychosocial effects such as respiratory symptoms of CWA are plausible contributor to poor general health and quality of life among survivors. We conclude that multidisciplinary interventions are needed to tackle the biopsychosocial complications in survivors of SM exposure to minimize further health damage in the future, as well as to promote their health-related quality of life.

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“…Indeed, the chemical agent, the "active principle" itself, is extremely toxic, but then, under real use conditions, chemical weapons are only 5% fatal on battlefields due to the complications in their dissemination and dispersal (for gaseous chlorine in World War I and for blistering sulfurÀmustard agents in IranÀIraq war, a mortality of 2% and 4%, respectively, were recorded) (Bismuth et al 2004;Jones, Palmer, and Wessely 2007). Nevertheless, toxic warfare agents inflict high numbers of injuries, causing a considerable logistical burden to the emergency sanitary system and a heavy psychological impact on the target population (Koenig et al 2008;Zilker 2005).…”

Section: Wrong Commonplacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical risk and chemical warfare agents: science and technology against humankind

Trifirò

2015

Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry

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After one century from the beginning of World War I, the threat of a possible usage of chemical warfare agents is back again. However, in our time, the potential targets of an attack with non-conventional toxic chemicals are civilian populations in a terrorist attack, rather than equipped and well-trained military troops in battlefields. Chemical weapons indeed are able to inflict not only material damages, but also noteworthy psychological consequences on the public opinion. An analysis of the most common misconceptions and a summary of the main advantages and disadvantages linked to the use of chemical weapons, in warfare actions or in terrorist attack, are discussed here.

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Enduring beliefs about effects of gassing in war: qualitative study

Cited by 14 publications

References 15 publications

The challenges experienced by Iranian war veterans living with chemical warfare poisoning: a descriptive, exploratory study

The challenges experienced by Iranian war veterans living with chemical warfare poisoning: a descriptive, exploratory study

Health perspectives among Halabja’s civilian survivors of sulfur mustard exposure with respiratory symptoms—A qualitative study

Chemical risk and chemical warfare agents: science and technology against humankind

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